Bird/s nest fungi

With the recent rains and the ridiculous warmth, the natural world has yet to call a halt to the growing season. Much of the growth is subtle, but if you know where to look—many years of observing the nature have given me proper observing directions—you can find a number of intriguing things, among them the Bird's Nest Fungi. It's easy to see how members of the mushroom family Nidulariaceae got their name, since the spore-containing "fruits" resemble a collection of eggs in tiny nests. ("Nidulus" is Latin for "small nest.") These treasures can often be found from spring through fall, but, because they're barely the size of a little fingernail, they're easy to miss in their native habitat: decaying wood. But when everything else above them is gone, there they are, putting on a show... and waiting to "hatch." They don't need mama or papa birds to nurture them... just rain and wind.